NHL: Carter’s late goal lifts Kings over Oilers

STRONG FINISH:：Jeff Carter scored with 50 seconds left to put LA ahead, before Jarret Stoll sealed it, while the Blackhawks notched a 16th straight game with at least a point

AP, EDMONTON, Alberta

Thu, Feb 21, 2013 - Page 19

Jeff Carter scored the go-ahead goal with 49.6 seconds remaining in regulation to lift the Los Angeles Kings over the Edmonton Oilers 3-1 on Tuesday night.

After the Oilers turned the puck over at the Kings blue line, Carter beat goalie Nikolai Khabibulin through the legs with a quick shot. Los Angeles then put the game away with an empty-net goal by Jarret Stoll.

Colin Fraser also scored for the Stanley Cup champions, who have won three of four. Jonathan Quick made 23 saves.

Sam Gagner had a goal for the Oilers and Khabibulin stopped 35 shots. Edmonton had the best early chances. Taylor Hall dropped a pass to Jordan Eberle just three minutes in, but he hit the post behind Quick. A minute later, Quick was forced to come up with a big toe save on another solid opportunity for Hall.

The Kings took a 1-0 lead at 4 minutes, 44 seconds of the second period. Khabibulin made a save on a long shot by Jordan Nolan, but the Oilers were unable to clear the rebound and Fraser swooped in for his first of the season.

Los Angeles had most of the momentum in the period, at one point outshooting Edmonton 13-1, but the Oilers fought back to tie it.

Seconds after Khabibulin made a diving save after an odd bounce off the boards, Edmonton connected on the power play when Gagner’s shot beat a screened Quick at 16:50.

Edmonton once again had a great chance denied three minutes into the third, when Quick stoned Hall point blank on a shot from the top of the crease.

The Kings were to finish a three-game road trip in Calgary last night. The Oilers play the fourth game of a five-game homestand today against Minnesota, before heading out on a nine-game road swing.

Blackhawks 4, Canucks 3

In Chicago, the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Vancouver Canucks 4-3 in a shootout on Tuesday to give them 16 straight games with at least one point, matching the NHL record to start a season.

Patrick Kane and Andrew Shaw scored in the tiebreaker for the Blackhawks (13-0-3), who earned their third consecutive win and joined the 2006-2007 Anaheim Ducks as the only teams to record at least one point in the first 16 games of a season. The Ducks got off to a 12-0-4 start that year and won the Stanley Cup.

Chicago will go for the record tomorrow night, when they host the San Jose Sharks for the second time in a week. However, it could be without Marian Hossa for that one, after the star forward had to be helped off the ice during the third period following a forearm to the back of the head from Vancouver forward Jannik Hansen.

Alexander Edler and Kevin Bieksa each scored in the final 2:42 of regulation for the Canucks, who opened a four-game trip with their third consecutive loss. Daniel Sedin had a goal and an assist, and twin brother Henrik had two assists.

Hossa had two goals and Patrick Sharp scored in regulation for the Blackhawks, who have won seven of eight overall. Ray Emery, subbing again for the injured Corey Crawford, made 29 saves to improve to 6-0 this season.

CANADIENS 3, RANGERS 1

In New York, Alex Galchenyuk snapped a tie early in the third period as Montreal held off New York for their fifth consecutive win.

Montreal had 18 shots and made the most of very little offense against Henrik Lundqvist.

The Canadiens tied it late in the second on Max Pacioretty’s goal and went ahead for good when Galchenyuk matched Pacioretty with his second of the season 1:48 into the third.

Carey Price was only slightly busier than Lundqvist, making 24 saves for his third win during Montreal’s surge. Peter Budaj won the previous two, including a 3-0 home victory over Carolina on Monday.

Raphael Diaz added an empty-net goal with 1:06 remaining for the Canadiens, who have outscored opponents 15-5 during their streak.

Defenseman Anton Stralman netted his second of the season in the second period, but it was not enough for the Rangers, who played without top-line forward Rick Nash because of an undisclosed injury and had a five-game point streak snapped (4-0-1).

LIGHTNING 4, MAPLE LEAFS 2

In Tampa, Florida, Steven Stamkos scored his 10th goal and Benoit Pouliot had three assists as Tampa Bay beat Toronto.

Vincent Lecavalier, Alexander Killorn and Matthew Carle also scored for the Lightning, who have won two in a row after an 0-5-1 skid.

Toronto goalie Ben Scrivens had his bid for a third consecutive shutout thwarted midway through the first period on Lecavalier’s goal. The Maple Leafs, 7-3-0 on the road this year, got goals from Mikhail Grabovski and James van Riemsdyk.

JETS 2, SABRES 1

In Buffalo, New York, Ondrej Pavelec made 29 saves to help Winnipeg snap a three-game skid with a win over Buffalo.

Andrew Ladd and Bryan Little scored for the Jets, who won for the third time in 10 games while opening a season-high five-game road swing.

Jason Pominville scored for Buffalo, once again booed by their home crowd. The Sabres are 4-10-1 in their past 15 and have dropped consecutive home games for the first time since February last year.

SENATORS 3, ISLANDERS 1

In Ottawa, Andre Benoit and Dave Dziurzynski scored their first NHL goals, while Craig Anderson made 37 saves to lead Ottawa over New York. Colin Greening also scored for the Senators.

Travis Hamonic scored for the Islanders, who got 23 saves from Rick DiPietro in his third start this season.